[Molzy]

Hello all,

Have any of you ever used apple cider vinegar? I started using it a couple ofmweeksnago, then stopped because I got worried. I’m not working with a vet on this, so I could use any and all advice on dosing. Basically, I am just curious if there are any negatives to adding apple cider vinegar to my dogs food, and what the dosage should be. He is an 20 month old Australian Cattle Dog who is now getting Honest Kitchen Keen (2/3 cup 3 times a day). I think he has acid reflux of some sort, but possibly due to a sphincter that doesn’t close. My vet recommended trying a Pepcid, which I tried tonight….I think it escalated the problem, which is why I’m turning back to the apple cider vinegar idea!

For the record, I strongly encourage people to work with vets on issues like this. I live in a town of 6,000 people, so I do not have a holistic vet available to me at this time. My current vet has seen Quincy, and is not concerned about his health because he shows no signs of illness other than occasional episodes of excessive swallowing (sometimes to the point of throwing up). These generally last a few days once started. I may ask my vet to do blood work anyways, but I have had success limiting the attacks by switching to a wet diet. I can usually pin his attacks to his getting something he shouldn’t (he is also a master counter surfer), though he will still have small episodes of swallowing occasionally.

For the record, he has only been completely on the Honest Kitchen for 3 days, though we slowly mixed it in for 2 weeks. I believe today’s attack may have been caused by 8 hours in the car yesterday, followed by an attempt to clip his nails (didn’t fully think through the whole stress level on the poor guy!). I know acid reflux can be caused by both dietary and stress triggers.

Anyways, long story to just ask the dosage and safety requirements of apple cider vinegar! Thanks!

[pugmomsandy]

I do use it periodically. I add it to their wet food topper.

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/15_01/features/Pet-Uses-Of-Apple-Cider-Vinegar_20435-1.html

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/2_6/features/5220-1.html

[theBCnut]

I use it religiously on one of my dogs that had acid reflux as a puppy and completely quit eating because of it. I use 1/2 teaspoon per cup of food. I personally don’t like ACVs taste for myself, so I eat a pickle instead when I get acid reflux, works great. Use Braggs or another organic raw unfiltered with the mother brand.

[Molzy]

Thanks! I added some to his breakfast and dinner – I have the Braggs Organic brand. I will continue it for a few days to see if it helps – should the results be fairly quick with something like this? I have no problem continuing it indefinitely like you have with yours, but I am curious about when I should see results.

[theBCnut]

With mine I could tell it helped with the first meal, but I also did a major food change to Brothers Complete, which has special probiotics and extra digestive enzymes and a whole host of other things that make it special.

[InkedMarie]

I add a teaspoon to my dogs food every morning, which is usually THK for all three!

[Molzy]

Thanks guys! This week has been especially bad, but I think I made it worse with the Pepcid Monday night so I am hoping that tonight will be better.

Do any of you use slippery elm powder?

[Molzy]

Also, is there a THK diet you’d recommend? I have him on Keen now, because it seemed like it would be the most gentle on his stomach. But perhaps there is another one better for acid reflux? Again, he hasn’t been officially diagnosed, but the symptoms point in that direction. Yet from reading online I think his problem might be too little acid, so his sphincter doesn’t always close?

He gets a probiotic as well.

[InkedMarie]

Molzy: if I was you, I’d give THK a call at 1-866-437-9729. They have always been extremely helpful. Unless it is the only one that worked, I wouldn’t feed Keen long term, way too low in protein.

[Molzy]

Thanks Marie. I plan on adding bravo raw at some point, but I’m *trying* to get his issues somewhat under control before I switch everything on him! I’m also interested in trying the other Honest Kitchen foods, but again, I’d like to find a base I can work off of first that I can revert to if he gets sick again. But I will keep the low protein in mind, thanks!

[bkagel]

I am a big advocate for Bragg’s raw apple cider vinegar for myself and after reading yet another article on raw apple cider vinegar for dogs, I thought why not. It’s done wonders for my immune system and I’ve become one of those raw apple cider vinegar freaks. It’s been about 2 weeks now that I have been putting 8-9 drops in their water bowls. They are super picky dogs!

The biggest improvement has been with my dog gracie. She has some form of ibs. Since taking the raw apple cider vinegar in her water, her poop sizes have been smaller (yes!!) and they aren’t as squishy. In fact, if I put ground flaxseed in her food for those “special times” it seems to make things worse, not better.

I can’t say enough good things about their health and raw apple cider vinegar.

[Susan]

Hi, get a diet that is lower in fat, if I go over 10% for fat in a kibble, my boy gets real bad acid reflux, with wet foods stick with fat 2% & under, I use 1 teaspoon Mylanta liquid as soon as I see him gulping & swallowing..as soon as you lower the fat in his diet you’ll see a different, with high fat foods you make more acid to digest the fat also there could be something in the Honest kitchen that is giving him the acid reflux, just like us when we eat something that doesn’t agree with us…. your best off with a limited ingredient diet or a low fat home cooking (turkey breast) when this happens, my boy had acid reflux for 1 week, then he had a real sore throat, where the acid burnt his throat, the Zantac wasn’t working, now I use Mylanta its different to Pepcid, I don’t believe in adding a acid like vinegar to stop acid, it made my acid reflux worse & where the acid came up into my throat the apple cider vinegar just made it worse & burnt my throat more……try a lower fat diet, if he doesn’t get better, see a vet, I feed something different for breakfast then something different for dinner & then I see what food was better & didn’t cause any acid reflux….

[Tina D]

I know this is a pretty old post, but I’m so thankful I found it.
Below is some extra information for who ever may need it.
Thanks to pugmomsandy!

There are pros and cons to adding cider vinegar to a dog’s drinking water, with the recommended dose usually 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon per 50 pounds of body weight. “People often talk about adding ACV to water bowls,” says canine health researcher Mary Straus. “My feeling is that if so, you should also offer plain water, just in case your dogs don’t want to drink the water with the ACV in it. You wouldn’t want to risk their drinking less water and possibly becoming dehydrated.”

Is a daily dose of apple cider vinegar good for your dog? Unless your dog is allergic to apples, he or she isn’t likely to suffer a serious reaction, and within a month you should be able to tell whether the addition is helping. Commonly reported benefits include improvements in skin and coat condition, a reduction of itching and scratching, the elimination of tear stains on the face, fewer brown or yellow urine spots in lawns, increased mobility in older dogs, reduced flea populations, and an improvement in overall health.

[Author]

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